Improved time-resolved measurements of inorganic ions in particulate matter by PILS-IC integrated with a sample pre-concentration system

A particle-into-liquid sampler coupled with ion chromatograph (PILS-IC) for the on-line measurement of inorganic ions has been modified by the insertion of two ion-exchange pre-concentration cartridges that enrich the sample during the period of the IC analysis. The limits of detection of the modified instrument were 10-15 times lower and the time coverage 24 times higher (from 2 to 48 min per hour) than those of the original PILS-IC setup. The instrumental performance in terms of recovery and break-through volume from the cartridges was satisfactory. The modified PILS-IC was operated in comparison with a diffusion denuder line and with a high-resolution time-of-flight aerosol mass spectrometer (HR-TOF-AMS) during a short intensive measurement period organized in the framework of the European Monitoring and Evaluation Programme (EMEP), a co-operative program for monitoring and evaluation of the long-range transmission of the air pollutants in Europe. The instrument showed a quantitative response in agreement with the results of the diffusion lines, and an ability to trace fine concentration variations not so different from the performance of the much more complex HR-TOF-AMS. From the time patterns of the ion concentrations measured by the modified PILS-IC, it was possible to obtain useful information about the variations in the air quality and in the strength of the particulate matter sourc

Excitation of low-lying states in 144Nd by means of (e,e') scattering

Abstract The low-lying states of 144Nd have been investigated up to an excitation energy of 3.1 MeV by means of high-resolution inelastic electron scattering. Transition charge densities have been extracted for natural-parity states. The experimental data have been compared with the predictions of the quasiparticle-phonon model. The calculations show that both collective and single-particle degrees of freedom are important for describing the low-lying states of 144Nd. A comparison of the present data with data for 142Nd and 142Ce emphasizes the role played by the two valence neutrons outside the N = 82 closed shell

Physical activity in the prevention of peripheral artery disease in the elderly

Aging is a well-known cardiovascular risk factor and cardiovascular diseases (CVD) are estimated to be the most common cause of death in the elderly. Peripheral arterial disease (PAD) represents an important clinical manifestation of CVD leading to increase morbidity and mortality, especially in elderly population. The correct management of PAD population includes the prevention of cardiovascular events and relief of symptoms, most commonly intermittent claudication. Progressive physical activity is an effective treatment to improve walking distance and to reduce mortality and cardiovascular events in patients with PAD, however the ability to effectively engage in physical activity often declines with increasing age. The maintenance and increase of reserve functional capacity are important concepts in the elderly population. Ultimately, the goal in participation of physical activity in the healthy elderly population is maintenance and development of physical functional reserve capacity. Therefore, for individuals suffering of PAD, appropriate physical activity in the form of supervised exercise may serve as a primary therapy. Although there are few direct comparisons of therapeutic exercise programs vs. pharmacological or surgical interventions, these increases in walking distance are greater than those reported for the most widely used agents for claudication, pentoxyphylline, and cilostazol. Despite a reduction in mortality and improvement of quality of life caused by physical activity in the PAD population, the molecular, cellular, and functional changes that occur during physical activity are not completely understood. Therefore, this review article aims at presenting an overview of recent established clinical and molecular findings addressing the role of physical activity on PAD in the older population

Interaction of Skeletal and Left Ventricular Mass in Older Adults with Low Muscle Performance

BACKGROUND: It was recently hypothesized the existence of “cardiac-skeletal muscle axis.” However, the relationship between skeletal muscle mass (SMM) and left ventricular mass (LVM) has never been investigated in the specific group of older individuals with low skeletal mass and physical performance. We tested this hypothesis in the SPRINT-T (Sarcopenia and Physical Frailty IN older people: multicomponenT Treatment strategies Trial) population using LVM as independent variable and SMM as dependent variable. METHODS: SMM was assessed by dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry scan and expressed as appendicular lean mass (ALM), and LVM was estimated through echocardiography. Low ALM was defined according to Foundation for the National Institutes of Health Sarcopenia Project criteria, and Short Physical Performance Battery (SPPB) was used to assess physical performance.RESULTS: The population consisted of 100 persons (33 men and 67 women), aged 70 years or older (mean age = 79 5 years) with low ALM and SPPB ranged between 3 and 9, suggestive of physical frailty. Charlson Comorbidity Index median score was 0. Mean value of LVM was 193 67 g, indexed LVM/body surface area (LVM/BSA) was 112 33 g/m2, and cardiac output (CO) was 65 19 L/min. ALM was strongly and positively correlated with LVM (r = 0.54602; P < .0001), LVM/BSA (r = 0.30761; P < .002), CO (r = 0.49621; P < .0001), body mass index (BMI) (r = 0.52461; P < .0001), sex (r = 0.77; P < .001), fat mass (r = 0.38977; P < .0001), and hemoglobin (Hb) (r = 0.26001; P < .01). In the multivariate analysis, LVM (β = .019 .005; P < .0001), CO (β = .038 .016; P = .019), BMI (β = .286 .051; P < .0001), and Hb (β = .544 .175; P = .0025) remained associated to ALM. CONCLUSIONS: In a sample of older persons with low muscle mass and physical performance, LVM was positively and significantly correlated with ALM, independently from blood pressure, physical activity, and other potential confounders. Future studies are needed to address the effect of interventions targeting LVM and SMM

Introducción al estudio de las Ciencias Sociales: Plan de estudios 6

La presente obra que se inaugura, cuenta con los textos que forman parte de la bibliografía obligatoria de la asignatura: “Introducción al Estudio de las Ciencias Sociales” en su tercera edición correspondiente al ciclo lectivo 2019, la cual forma parte del nuevo Plan de Estudios para las carreras que se dictan en la Facultad de Ciencias Jurídicas y Sociales de la Universidad Nacional de La Plata. Asimismo, se presenta como una guía orientadora para los alumnos respecto a los contenidos mínimos previstos para esta materia y que fuera aprobada por el Honorable Consejo Directivo de ésta Casa de Estudios bajo la Resolución N° 336/13. Los textos versan sobre las prácticas de aprendizaje y cultura universitaria; la Universidad Nacional de La Plata, la Facultad de Ciencias Jurídicas y Sociales; el conocimiento científico y las Ciencias Sociales; las Ciencias Jurídicas y las Ciencias Sociales: aportes para su análisis; teoría del derecho; ciencia política y evolución de las formas de organización política y la Nación Argentina y su organización política.Facultad de Ciencias Jurídicas y Sociales (JURSOC

New national and regional Annex I Habitat records: from #102 to #122

New Italian data on the distribution of the Annex I Habitats are reported in this contribution. Specifically, 9 new occurrences in Natura 2000 sites are presented and 34 new cells are added in the EEA 10 km × 10 km reference grid. The new data refer to the Italian administrative regions of Abruzzo, Apulia, Calabria, Latium, Lombardy, Marche, Sardinia, Sicily, Tuscany and Umbria

Introducción al estudio de las Ciencias Sociales: Plan de estudios 6

La presente obra que se inaugura, cuenta con los textos que forman parte de la bibliografía obligatoria de la asignatura: “Introducción al Estudio de las Ciencias Sociales” en su tercera edición correspondiente al ciclo lectivo 2019, la cual forma parte del nuevo Plan de Estudios para las carreras que se dictan en la Facultad de Ciencias Jurídicas y Sociales de la Universidad Nacional de La Plata. Asimismo, se presenta como una guía orientadora para los alumnos respecto a los contenidos mínimos previstos para esta materia y que fuera aprobada por el Honorable Consejo Directivo de ésta Casa de Estudios bajo la Resolución N° 336/13. Los textos versan sobre las prácticas de aprendizaje y cultura universitaria; la Universidad Nacional de La Plata, la Facultad de Ciencias Jurídicas y Sociales; el conocimiento científico y las Ciencias Sociales; las Ciencias Jurídicas y las Ciencias Sociales: aportes para su análisis; teoría del derecho; ciencia política y evolución de las formas de organización política y la Nación Argentina y su organización política.Facultad de Ciencias Jurídicas y Sociales (JURSOC

Measurements of Higgs boson production and couplings in diboson final states with the ATLAS detector at the LHC

Measurements are presented of production properties and couplings of the recently discovered Higgs boson using the decays into boson pairs, H →γ γ, H → Z Z∗ →4l and H →W W∗ →lνlν. The results are based on the complete pp collision data sample recorded by the ATLAS experiment at the CERN Large Hadron Collider at centre-of-mass energies of √s = 7 TeV and √s = 8 TeV, corresponding to an integrated luminosity of about 25 fb−1. Evidence for Higgs boson production through vector-boson fusion is reported. Results of combined fits probing Higgs boson couplings to fermions and bosons, as well as anomalous contributions to loop-induced production and decay modes, are presented. All measurements are consistent with expectations for the Standard Model Higgs boson

Standalone vertex finding in the ATLAS muon spectrometer

A dedicated reconstruction algorithm to find decay vertices in the ATLAS muon spectrometer is presented. The algorithm searches the region just upstream of or inside the muon spectrometer volume for multi-particle vertices that originate from the decay of particles with long decay paths. The performance of the algorithm is evaluated using both a sample of simulated Higgs boson events, in which the Higgs boson decays to long-lived neutral particles that in turn decay to bbar b final states, and pp collision data at √s = 7 TeV collected with the ATLAS detector at the LHC during 2011

Hunt for new phenomena using large jet multiplicities and missing transverse momentum with ATLAS in 4.7 fb−1 of √s=7 TeV proton-proton collisions

Results are presented of a search for new particles decaying to large numbers of jets in association with missing transverse momentum, using 4.7 fb−1 of pp collision data at s√=7TeV collected by the ATLAS experiment at the Large Hadron Collider in 2011. The event selection requires missing transverse momentum, no isolated electrons or muons, and from ≥6 to ≥9 jets. No evidence is found for physics beyond the Standard Model. The results are interpreted in the context of a MSUGRA/CMSSM supersymmetric model, where, for large universal scalar mass m 0, gluino masses smaller than 840 GeV are excluded at the 95% confidence level, extending previously published limits. Within a simplified model containing only a gluino octet and a neutralino, gluino masses smaller than 870 GeV are similarly excluded for neutralino masses below 100 GeV